Gun Accidentally Goes Off, Injures Fort Carson Soldier

By KKTV&nbsp|&nbsp

Posted: Mon 12:13 PM, Feb 04, 2013

Two Fort Carson soldiers were involved in an accidental shooting over the weekend, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies say that 18-year-old Reid Potwin was shot in the leg when 21-year-old Zachary Clay's gun inadvertently went off. Clay was cleaning his gun at the time of the accident, and manipulated the slide of his .40 caliber pistol, causing it to go off. Clay acknowledged what happened to responding deputies, and witnesses at the scene concurred.

The Sheriff's Office stressed to always treat your gun as if it is loaded when handling it for any reason.

“We cannot stress the importance of proper gun safety when handling any kind of weapon. Always treat a weapon as if it is loaded," the Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

The case is now under review to determine if any charges will be filed.

Potwin and Clay are both soldiers at Fort Carson. Potwin's was flown to Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, where his injuries were determined to be minor.

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